Mental Health charity Mind says that talking to your GP is the first option for many of us looking for medical advice, and that’s where most of us first openly admit that we’re struggling to cope.

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Mental health is still a difficult subject, so you might be met with vacant stares and sarcastic comments from unsympathetic family members, but this doesn’t mean your doctor isn’t giving out bad vibes, too.

Here are some of the worst things people have been told by their doctor about their mental health.

Amii wasn’t impressed with the response she got when she broke down in her doctor’s office, one which made her feel more alone than when she walked in.

They said: ‘Why are you even crying? Surely you can see that isn’t normal?’

Kat ran out of medication and ended up having to see a GP who she hadn’t seen before.

The doctor refused to prescribe her regular medication and seemed to think that going cold turkey would be fine, even though Kat knew that not having this particular medication can cause seizures.

‘When I asked her how I was expected to manage my severe chronic anxiety she said ‘Just cope’ and shooed me out the room.’

Sian was severely depressed when she was 16 and her GP shrugged it off as though there was nothing to worry about.

‘I was told it was mood swings and being a teenager, and didn’t even get a follow-up appointment.’

She was also surprised when she was later advised to keep her mental illness under wraps when applying for further education courses.

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‘When a doctor was writing my university a letter about my depression she said it was better to play it down so that they didn’t think of me differently and hold it against me.’

Jem was shocked when she was told that her sexual preference was a contributing factor to her mental well-being.

She was told that it was ’caused by my sexuality. Being gay was making me sad; I should get over it, along with the abuse that she was convinced I’d been through as a child – when I hadn’t – and I’d be happy again’

Joanna was put off visiting a doctor entirely because of one particular encounter.

‘Upon being given another medication that exacerbates depression, I voiced my concern that I was uncomfortable taking it, given my current mental health struggles.

My doctor said, ‘You smiled at me when you walked in and look OK to me so you’re not depressed,’ and then asked me to leave.

I wanted to say that you can be depressed and still be polite, but I didn’t get the chance as I was ushered out of the room.

Unsurprisingly, I haven’t seen a Dr since then.’

Becky was berated after she sought help following a suicide attempt many years ago.

‘I was told: ‘How dare you take God’s will into your own hands’ and, by a nurse in a disapproving tone, ‘Was it you in here for the same thing last week?’ while rolling her eyes.’

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More recently, Becky has also been given this patronising advice: ‘I was told by a nurse to wake up and decide to be happy, go for a walk and have some respect for myself.’

Harriet was openly judged and told that she was simply acting out to be the centre of attention.

She was told that she was ‘self-harming to get attention from my boyfriend’.

She says: ‘The self-harming was compulsive as a side-effect from my antidepressants – I’ve never done it before or since – and my ‘boyfriend’ was a gay male friend who was looking after me because I was falling apart mentally.’

Faith’s concerns were brushed off and not deemed serious enough because of her age.

Her doctor said: ‘It’s not like you’re pregnant or tried to jump off a bridge or anything. You’re just being a teenager.’

Aged 24, Laura was battling mental illness after her partner died from cancer.

Her doctor said: ‘Have you tried going to bed earlier?’

Have you tried getting more sleep? (Illustration: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Emma was getting help for depression and anorexia when she was scheduled to have a therapy appointment.

She panicked and decided to cancel the appointment, which led to a negative response from her counsellor.

‘The lead counsellor flippantly said, ‘Oh, it can’t be that bad then’.’

Lizzi was told: ‘People like you don’t deserve NHS treatment’ and she was also advised to ‘drink whisky when you’re anxious’ and ‘you need to eat more pork, because pork is tasty, it’ll make you happy.’

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As if depression and anxiety weren’t enough to deal with, poor Jacob visited his doctor only to be told to sort out his love life.

He was told to ‘go out and find yourself a girlfriend.’

If you’ve had a negative experience asking your doctor for help with mental illness, go back for a second opinion with a different doctor.

Alternatively, you can call Mind on 03001 233393 (Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm) or Samaritans 24 hours a day on 116 123.